An urgent review was under way today after thousands of people were illegally searched by police using counter-terrorism powers.
Officials were examining 40 cases where police forces across England and Wales misapplied the Terrorism Act 2000.
The Home Office said paperwork blunders meant senior officers did not get the correct authorisation to implement the law.
A series of errors have been identified in applications by forces, including the Metropolitan Police and regional forces, between 2001 and 2008.
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The mistakes centre on operations where stop and search powers under section 44 of the Terrorism Act were used.
This allows officers to stop and search anyone, without necessarily having any “reasonable suspicion”, in a designated area.
PA